K1 Visa Interview: planning and preparation.

Fiance visa applications typically receive a denial at the US Embassy stage of the process as opposed to USCIS. A very substantial amount of fiance visa cases that have been previously approved by USCIS do not pass the Embassy phase. The US Embassy does not offer an appeal process, which makes the denial especially tragic for the couple that was awaiting the interview and issuance of the K1 visa. Therefore, it is imperative that you start preparation for the fiance visa interview even prior to initiation of the actual fiance visa process.

The purpose of the consular interview is to scrutinize your relationship on the subject of legitimacy and veracity. At the USCIS stage of the process your relationship does not get critically examined. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services verifies your eligibility to serve as a Petitioner for an application and your fiance as the Beneficiary. In other words, the issuance of approval by USCIS does not guarantee the successful outcome at the Embassy stage of the process.

The US consular officer will mostly concentrate on asking questions about the bona fides of the relationship. Inability to prove the veracity of the relationship is the most common reason for the issuance of the denial. The supporting documentation provided at the time of the interview will partially ease your task as the consular officer will be able to establish that your relationship has continued from the moment of the initial filing until the time of the actual interview. Although relevant supporting documentation can greatly help the case, - beneficiary's poor answers at the interview can potentially ruin it. The beneficiary must have a very firm knowledge about the petitioners biographical information and development of the relationship. Moreover, the beneficiary must be consistent with all information that has already been provided in the course of the process. Also, being truthful is imperative for the purposes of successful outcome.

At the time of the fiance visa interview the beneficiary will be most likely questioned about the following (but not limited to):

petitioner's prior marriages and how they were terminated;

petitioner's hobbies and what he does for entertainment;

questions about petitioner's childhood - where he/she was born and where he/she grew up;

if petitioner has children, the beneficiary must know names of his/her children and their age;

names of the petitioner's parents; their age; where they currently live;

foreign fiance must know the petitioner's current employment and his employment history;

foreign fiance must know where the petitioner currently lives and his prior residence history;

foreign fiance must know her/his fiance's date of birth;

if the petitioner has applied before for any foreign fiances - the beneficiary must have knowledge about that.

Please do not consider this article as the actual guidance. These are just several examples showing the actual depth of the fiance visa interview. The list of possible questions could be unlimited. However, these examples may give you an idea about the type of questions asked. The intensity of the interview may vary depending on the case and on the particular office, however, it would be advisable to start your preparations for the interview even before your start the fiance visa process. We do advise retaining a professional law firm to handle the process for you and represent you in the process. Typically, the US consular officers are more loyal to represented cases. Your relationship is at stake, therefore a small fee is definitely worth your peace of mind and knowing that you will unite with your loved one in a timeliest manner possible.